Slide fastener construction



Feb. 21, 1933. SCHADE ET 1,898,216

SLIDE FASTENER CONSTRUCTION Filed July 29, 1932 INVENT OR JOHN 50/1405 FRANK 5.50?

A TORNEYS Patented Feb. 2l, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN scnnnn AND FRANK S. SCHADE, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO OF MASSACHUSETTS SLIDE FASTENER CONSTRUCTION Application filed July 29,

This invention relates to an improvement in slide fastener constructions. The general arrangement for closing two edges together or separating them by the operation of a slide fastener is well known. It is variously called slide fastener, zipper or talon fastener, and other names. For convenience we will call it generally a zipper fastener with the intention of including any constructions 13 of the various types of manufacture.

The zipper has been applied to all sorts of things for convenient closing and opening purposes. The slide has been constructed in some instances so as to separate completely into parts. These slide constructions which come apart have the defect that it is not a simple matter to get the two rows of prongs and the slide assembled for the closing operation. And furthermore, there are some uses where it is not feasible to take the slide apart and provision must be made to extend the travel of the slide for the mere purpose of getting it out of the way for opening the edges widely enough at a desired 5 point. This necessity for extending the travel of the slide raises dilficulties when one wants to avoid either the need for room to accommodate the slide or the particular appearance of the article with parts extended due to the mere need for slide room at the end point of travel.

For example, the difficulty arises in applying a zipper fastener to a book construction where the slide travel is from one end of the back to the other around the covers.

It is desired to open the book out flat. But

unless extra room is provided for the slide to carry it below or into the same plane as the hinge line, both of which Wlll require a special appearance to the book for the mere purpose of slide room, the book will not open properl This is illustrated in two copending applications Ser. No. 572,558, filed November 2, 1931, and Serial No. 619,040, filed 5 June 24,1932, showing the ordinary zipper 1932. Serial N0. 625,665.

constructions applied to books and the speclal attempt to accommodate the adaptation.

The idea of the present invention is to construct a new type of slide fastener construction which will pivot for opening purposes. A part of the slide turns away from the line of travel with one of the prong strips and the other part with the other prong strip. When theslide comes to rest after its ordinary opening operation with its pivot at the point of desired turning apart of the fastener strips, and with the greater part of the slide extending over prongs which would ordinarily prevent pivoting action down to the desired point, then the slide is itself opened up for its parts on each side of the line of travel to turn with the prongs down to the desired pivot point. This feature in a new slide construction can be applied to many.

uses beside books. lit will make a better zipper adaptation to all sorts of articles where heretofore the terminal portion of the zipper construction has been causing a lot of trouble.

The other features of invention are related to the one mentioned. They will all be clear from the accompanying drawing and de scription.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of the pivoted slide part in closed position without the prong strips being shown. The scale is larger than full size;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same part;

Fi 3 is a plan view of the slide part of the zip er construction but with the two pivoted alves swung open;-

7 Fig. 4 is an edge view of the parts in the position of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a. plan view of a modified slide construction i Fig. 6 is a side view of the Fig. 5 construction;

Fig. 7 is a plan view with the parts of Fig. 5 shown in opened position;

Fi 8 is an edge view of the parts in Fig.

Fdig. 9 is a section on line 99 of Fig. 5; an

Figs. 10 and 11 are detail perspective views of the two pivoted slide halves and the slide lock construction respectively.

In the first form, referring to Fig. 3, the slide halves 1 and 2 are pivoted at 3 to swing into the open position shown in this figure or into the closed position shown in Fig. 1. The finger piece 4 is pivoted on top of part 1 at 5, best shown in Fig. 2. On the top of each half 1 and 2 there is a lug to cooperate with finger piece 4 in looking and unlocking the slide parts with respect to its condition for pivoting at 3. The lug 6 on part 1 matches with lug 7 on part 2. When parts 1 and 2 are closed together, lugs 6 and 7 are in position to extend through a longitudinal slot 8 in finger piece 4, see Fig. 1. If the latter is pulled in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the sides of slot 8 hold lugs 6 and 7 and through them the parts 1 and 2 together. This direction of movement is the one used for binding the prong strips (not shown) along their adjacent edges, as is well understood. When the slide parts 1 and 2 are held together, their operation as a slide fastener is the ordinary well known operation. The parts 1 and 2 are constructed for such operation with the prong strips and it is not thought necessary to describe the ordinary constructional features of the slide relating to its ordinary operation with the prong strips. But such ordinary construction is fully shown in the drawing. The feature of improvement is to make the parts separable in a way such as is referred to and claimed.

In operating the slide to open the prong strips, the finger piece 4 is lifted up and pulled in a direction opposite to the arrow of Fig. 2. This releases lugs 6 and 7, so parts 1 and 2 can separate on their pivot 3. It makes no difference whether they separate before comingto the end of their travel or not. As a matter of fact, there is some advantage in having them separate as the rong strips are separatedrrs the slide unloc (s the prongs and that is what is wanted, to separate the prong strips. When the slide gets to the end of its travel, parts 1 and 2 can readily turn outwardly on pivot 3 to their wide open position shown in Fig. 3. This permits the prong strips and the parts to which they are attached to open up on pivot 3 Without any substantial interference due to the slides hold on such strips. In the old construction the prong strips can separate only from the forward end of the slide, and such construction required space for the slide to travel almost its whole length beyond the desired hinge line for prong separation. By the new construction this space is saved as the hinge line for prong separation is located through pivot 3 at the rear of the slide and parts 1 and 2 turn outwardly with the prong strips and do not need any special space to accommodate them back of the separating pivot.

When it is desired to operate the slide for closing, it is only necessary to swing parts 1 and 2 together from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 1 and lower the finger piece 4 over lugs 6 and 7, into position for pulling.

The manipulation of the device for the new effects is simple, the advantages are many. Some of the principal ones are, the increased adaptability of zipper constructions to articles, without the necessity of providing special space for the slide in getting the desired separation in the article as in a book construction; the separation of the slide construction in a simple manner without difficulty and with the parts in position for easy reassembling; and the low cost of the improved slide construction.

In the second form, we have shown how the main idea of the first form can be applied to a slidewith different constructional details, and in addition how certain detailed improvements can be added to the slide construction to advantage. Fig. 10 shows the two halves 12 and 13 and their parts in perspective and separated to make the arrangement clearer than it can be in the assembled views alone. The parts referred to in the perspective view can be found in the assembled views of Figs. 5 to 9.

The slide is made to operate on the prong strips in the ordinary way when closed in assembled condition. The two halves 12 and 13 are pivoted at 14. A lug 15 on the top of part 12 is adapted to pass under a flange 16 bent over from lug 17 on the top of part 13. The relation of parts in this position is shown in Fig. 9. With the parts of Fig. 10 in the closed position of Fig. 9, the slide lock 18 of Fig. 11 is adapted to have its leg 19 lie above part 13 between lug 17 and two spaced stop lugs 20 and 21. This restricts 18 to a forward and backward sliding movement on top of part 13. Part 18 also rides on top of flange 16. Part 18 has a bent over underlying flange 22 which hooks under flange 16. ,When lug 15 is moved adjacent 17 the hook part or flange 22 is adapted to be put into and out of position to hold and release lug 15 to and from such adjacent position. This is accomplished by sliding part 18, forward and backward, on part 13.

To slide part 18, a finger piece 23 is pivoted in openings 24 (one of which is shown in Fig. 11) midway of part 18. It will be seen (Fig. 7) that the outside leg of piece 23, with the parts assembled, is in position to strike lugs 20 and 21 to limit the sliding movement of part 18 through its pivoted handle. The idea is that when part 18 slides backward the handle part adjacent the outside pivotal connection with 18 will opening only bring about a strike lug 21 and in this position flange 22 will be moved back of the lug 15 so as to permit part 12 to pivot at 14 and separate the slide halves 12 and 13. When 18 is moved forward, its handle limits its movement relative to part 13 by striking lug 20. In this position flange 22 is overlapping lug 15 and the latter is adjacent lug 17 so that the slide halves 12 and 13 cannot be separated by pivoting on point 14.

By the construction described, it will be seen that parts 12 and 13 can be closed, finger piece 23 pulled forward to work the slide in the direction to fasten the prong strips (not shown) together. This natural movement of the finger piece in this modification as well as in the first form, operates to lock the pivoted slide parts into assembled slide operable position. All that is necessary in either construction is to swing the slide halves together and pull the finger piece and it will follow that the slide operates on the prong strips as well as an ordinary slide as there is no conscious locking operation necessary in assembling the parts.

In the second form as in the first form, when the slide is pulled backward to open up the prong strips, the slide parts are thereby unlocked and they may separate on their pivot. But in the prong separating pull on the slide, there is no disadvantage if the slide halves do separate. The action will better separation of the prongs in the sense that they will not only be unlocked but will be actually moved apart preliminarily to the need for completely the parts of the article on which the zipper construction is used. There is an advantage in the operation of the second form over the first, in a better form of lock for the slide halves and inthe fact that the finger piece can apply force to the sliding operation nearer to that particular end of the slide which is the forward end in the back and forth movement of the slide. This is first one and then the other end of the slide. The finger piece shifts toward the position for the best pull. This is a real advantage in that it avoids atendency for the slide to tip transversely of the prong line.

' This idea incorporated with the locking feaand 13 (and like lips ture for the pivoted slide halves is an additional improvement beyond the first form.

The extended lips 30 and 31 on parts 12 on parts 1 and 2) are I provided to prevent the prongs from catchbetween the two slide halves.

ing at the joint o the desired smooth operation These lips help of the slide.

It will be noticed from Figs. 7 and 11 that the forward end of part 18 is arranged on the bias extending back from right to left. The left-hand side is the locking side for lug 15. When part 12 pivots away from part 13 it moves to the left. The bias arrangement gives a longer reach for guiding flan e 19 for the same length of slide than coul be obtamed if the end of 18, were square in the particular arrangement for locking and unlocking lug 6.

The invention and its principles of construction have nowbeen fully disclosed. Its

advantages in use will be quite obvious from what has been stated.

We claim:

1. A zipper slide construction in which prong strips are fastened and unfastened along a predetermined line of separation by the movement of the slide back and forth on such line having in combination two pivoted slide parts each one adapted to en age a prong strip, said parts being pivote together at the prong closing end of the slide so as to move oppositely as jaws to permit the prong strips held thereby to separate widely from the pivot point of said parts and olvgr substantiallythe whole length of the s 1 e.

2. The combination of claim 1 and a finger piece for the slide ad ted to cooperate with portions on the pivote slide parts to lock the pivoted parts together during a prong closing movement of the slide.

3. A slide fastener construction compris ing a prong strip fastening and unfastening slide having means to hold two prong strips in permanently assembled relation to t e slide at all times in combination with means formed from parts of said slide to open the seam formed by the prong strips and thereafter separate the prong strips widely over the entire length of the slide that is directly held in the slide at any time without losing said permanently assembled relation.

4. A slide fastener construction of the zipper type comprising a fastener slide dividtwo parts lengthwise and permanented into ly pivoted at the closing end of the slide,

means to hold said parts together during the I closing movement of the slide and to release them when it is desired to separate said parts on their pivot, each of said -parts being arranged to carry its own length of fastener strip throughout its pivotal movemen 5-. A slide fastener construction of the zipper type comprising a fastener slide divided into two parts lengthwise and pivotally mounted at the prong closing end of the slide, a finger piece attached to the top of the slide having a shiftable connection therewith so as to apply sliding force near the forward end of the slides travel in either direction, a latch for said pivoted parts, said latch being operable to be opened and closed by the shifting of said finger piece.

6. A slide fastener construction of the zipper type comprising two halves each of which is adapted to be permanently threaded along the edge of a prong strip, pivotal means for connecting said halves to separate the prong strips by the movement of said halves from a point at the prong closing end of the slide whereby the slide may remain assembled With the prong strips but will not inter- 5 fere with the operation of opening said strips over the length of the slide.

In testimony whereof We have aflixed our signatures.

JOHN SOHADE. FRANK S. SOHADE. 

